Halloween is not for Moms...

It is going to be Halloween before I know it. 

I of course had grand visions of my two daughters in matching costumes.  Two little pumpkins; two little fairies; BoPeep and a little sheep. 

I finally decided on a witch and a little black cat.  I was so proud of my idea and I began planning how I was going to put together the World's Cutest Halloween Costumes - tutus and leggings, little black ears and a tail. I had it all dreamed up.  It would be epic.

There was one little thing I forgot to factor into my plans... 

Hayden is old enough to have an opinion about everything, and this time, our opinions don't match up.

You see, my sweet daughter is nearly two and has recently developed a love of Princesses.  Mostly Rapunzel.  She is so cute as she calls out, "'Punzel! Let down hair!" and when I comb her hair in the morning she almost always mentions that she would like "Princess Hair"....

So a few days ago, we were moseying through WalMart when she spotted it.  In the center aisle was a display of princess dresses, the nice $20 dress-up kind, not the cheesy little $9 Halloween numbers.  She melted when on the front she spotted the trademark purple dress of Rapunzel, her idol. "OH, MAMA!! PUNZEL! DRESS! OH!"

I managed to wheel her out of there, practically in tears, no 'Punzel dress in hand. 

I told my mom and my husband this story later and they were like, "Why can't she be Rapunzel?"

Um, because I didn't pick Rapunzel - I picked a witch. 

What I was not considering in my answer is this - she  isn't a baby. She is a kid now. SHE picked Rapunzel.  SHE wanted that costume.  This wasn't about her mom - this was about the little girl who is growing up before my eyes.  The little girl who is old enough to choose her Halloween costume.

So look what we bought tonight:

 And I had to wrestle it off of her tonight at bedtime.

It dawned on me today in the midst of this Halloween costume purchase that this was only the beginning.  My daughters will not always wear what I want them to do. But I am raising two little girls to grow up and be women who do things their way, who are confident enough in their decisions and their taste to do it their way.  Not making her be a witch was the right thing to do.

As for her sister, who is still way too small to care, I still get to pick her costume - but this time, I let her Daddy have the honor of making the pick of her first Halloween costume:

That is right - Rapunzel and a skeleton...  a far cry from the picture perfect matchy-match costumes I wanted.

But like I realized today, it isn't about me.  It is about them having fun.

I am not gonna lie to you though - Baby Bones' is getting a Halloween hair bow or something - because Mommy wants her to. :-)